Downdraft heater or boilr.



W. C. McKEOWN.

DOWNDRAFT HEATER 0R BOILER.

- APPLICATION FILED NOV. 8- I915 1,280,788.

om X M Q 8 w. c. McKEOWN. DOWNDRAFT HEATER on BOILER. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 18. 1915- Patented Oct. 8, 1918'.

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Patented Oct. 8,1918.--

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W. C. McKE0WN. DOWNDRAFT HEATER 0R BOILER. APPLICATION FILED novbls. ms.

mmfilw/ fly JIM 7/ WILLIAM C. MCKEOWN, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

DOWNDRAFT HEATER 0R BOILER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 8, 1918.

Application filed November 18, 1915. Serial No. 62,130.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IVILLIAM G. M0- KnoWN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Buffalo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain 'new and useful Improvements in Downdraft Heaters or Boilers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to a down-draft heater or boiler, and more particularly to a sectional down-draft heater or boiler.

The primary object of my invention is the provision of a heater or boilerhaving its fire-place in the upper portion thereof so that fuel is fed thereto through the top wall.

Another object is to provide internal air feeding means Within the fire-place and to so construct said means that it will distribute the air to the burning fuel to insure an enlivened fire throughout the full width of the fire-place.

Other objects are to simplify the construction of sectional heaters or boilers and to so arrange the draft and smoke passages that the products of combustion take a circuitous course downwardly, winding around water tubes arranged in staggered relation and having a cross sectional formation providing maximum superficial area of exposure of surface to the quantity of water circulating therethrough.

Another-object is to provide means for creating an upward draft directly into the smoke stack to assure a quick start of the fire and to enliven the fire after the same has been checked for a period of time.

Vith these and other objects in view, my invention consists in a sectional heater or boiler having its fire-place at its upper end and circuitous draft or heat passages trending downwardly from the fire-place.

It further consists in a heater or boiler having means for concentrating air at a central point within the fire-place so that fuel is supplied with air at points where ordinarily there is a deficiency of air.

It further consists in the novel features of construction and in the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the subjoined claims.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved heater or boiler.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section taken on line aa, Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detached perspective view of one of the intermediate sections of the heater or boiler.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal section taken on line bb, Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a vertical transverse section taken on line 0-0, Fig. 2, the smoke stack and direct up-draft stack being shown projeeting upwardly from the heater or boiler.

Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal section taken on line 0Zd, Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged transverse section through the air concentrating or distributing device.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the front section of the heater or boiler.

Fig. 9 is a section.

Fig. 10 is a horizontal section taken on line 6-6, Fig. 2.

Reference being bad to the drawings in detail, like numerals refer to like parts in the several figures.

The heater or boiler comprises a front section 10, a rear section 11, and one or more intermediate sections 12, these sections being provided with water spaces or passages for the retention and circulation of water therethrough. The external contour of these sections may be varied without departing from the principle involved, .and in the particular embodiment of my invention shown, the sections have vertical side edges at intermediate portions, as at 13, which flare outwardly at their upper and lower ends, as at 14, 15, respectively. The upper edges of the front and rear sections incline upwardly and inwardly from the side edges, as at 16. to provide a crowning upper surface.

The front section 10 is made hollow to provide a water space 17 formed between. the edge walls of the same and the front wall or outer wall 18 and rear or inner perspective view of the rear wall 19. The rear or inner Wall of said front section has hollow vertically-disposed ribs 20 arranged at its side marginal portions, and said wall also has a vertically-disposed hollow rib-21 arranged medially between said marginal ribs. Said wall further has hollow transverse connecting ribs 22 formed thereon which extend from the-medial rib 21 to the marginal ribs 20. The

. 23 having nipple openings 24 formedthere- 1n. a distance from the lower end of the front section and beneath the point of such termi nation; said front section is'provided with marginalfianges 25, the outer faces of which are continuations of the outer faces of said marginal hollow ribs.

As clearly shown in Figs. 6 and 8, the upper and lower connecting ribs of the front section have less projection fromthe rear or.

inner wall of said section than the remaining connectmg ribs, for a purpose to appear hereinafter, and in order that access may be amed to the interlor of the heater or boller.

it different pointsbeneath the fire-place,

openings 26 are formedtherethrough which are closed by doors 27 hinged or otherwise substantially fastened so that they may be conveniently opened when desired. It is to be noted that portions of the'vertical rib 21 and the connecting ribs 22 extend across said openings and at these points are in the form of tubes.

The bottom. of the medial hollow rib 21 terminates in a circular boss 28 having a nipple opening 29.

The rear section- 11 is also made. hollow and provided with a rear or. outer wall 30 and a front or inner wall 31. These walls with the edge walls of the section form a water space 32. Extending forwardly fromthe side marginal portions of this section are.

hollow vertically-disposed ribs 33 terminat ing at their upper ends in circular bosses 34 having nipple openings 35 formed therein.

These ribs, like the side marginal ribs of the front: section, terminate short. of the lower end of the section and beneath the points of such termination said section has forwardly.

extending marginal flanges 36.

Said front or inner wall also is provided with a medially-disposed vertical hollow rib 37 which is connected with the side marginal ribs. by hollow. transverse connecting ribs. 38..

Said connecting ribs are inclined upwardly from the medially-disposed rib 37 to the side marginal ribs 33. The medially-disposed ribs hollow marginal ribs 20 of said These hollow marginal ribs terminate of the front and rear sections terminate with their lower ends at a point above the lower end of said sections on which they are formed and at their upper ends a considerable distance below the upper ends of said sections. The upper and lower connecting ribs 38 of said rear section have less proj ection from the front. or inner wall of said section than the remaining connecting ribs, for a purpose to appear hereinafter.

The intermediate section, or each of them, if more than one are used, comprises two hollow upright side members 39 terminating in thin solid legs 40' at their lower ends and in circular bosses 41 at their upper ends having nipple openings 42. Arranged medially between the hollow side members 39 is a ve'rticallydisposed hollow member 43 which is connected with saidside members by 1101- low transverse members, preferably upwardly and outwardly directed connecting members 44. With theexception of the up permost and lowermost connecting members they are preferably triangular in cross sec-- tion and arranged in staggered relation, successively. The intermediate triangular connecting members are one half the depth of the side, members and the medial member-and are arranged alternately at opposite sides of a plane passing transversely through the section. The upper and lower connectingmembers, however, are arranged uniformly. between the front and rear edges ofsaid side members, the upper connecting members being of the same depth as the side members and having notches 45 formed in their edges. The lowerconnectingmembers are of, somewhat less depth thanthe' side membersand at the point where the lowerg men'iber meets the medially-disposed vertical member, 7 a circular boss 46 is formed which is provided with nipple openings 47. This, boss is, therefore, at the lowest point vof the water contained Within the several hollow sections .of the boiler; t

The exterior outline of tlie intermediate; section or sections aresimilar to those of the front and rear sections, except that the upper ends of'the side members are disconnected, andlike the medial vertically-disposed ribs of the front and rear sections, the medially,- disposed member ofeach of the intermediate sections terminates atits'up'per end at a point a considerable distance from the upper end of the section ofwhich it forms partwhile the lower end of said medially-disposed member terminates in a plane a distance above the lower ends of the legs 40.,

WVhen assembling thesectionsof a heater or boiler the intermediate 1 section or sections, as the case, may, be, are interposed between the front and rear sections, or'between the endsections as they maybe termed, with the connecting bosses at the upper ends of adjoining sections in alinement and the lower connecting boss of the intermediate section or each of the intermediate sections in alinement with the lower circular bosses of the front and rear sections. The sections are connected together in a steam and water tight manner by means of pushnipples, 48 which enter the nipple openings of the circular bosses; and if desired, the sections may be otherwise con nected by additional means, such as tie bolts or the like, as commonly practised in the art.

With the sections assembled, the upper connecting members 44 of the intermediate sections lie in contact with each other but are out of contact with the upper hollow connecting ribs 38 of the front and rear sections. The notches formed in said upper connecting members form draft openings between said members and a draft passage 49 is provided between the upper ribs 38 of the front and rear sections and the upper connecting members of adjoining intermediate sections, due to said ribs 38 having less projection from the inner walls of said front and rear sections than the remaining ribs thereon. The lower connecting member of the intermediate sections, as shown in Fig. 6, are arranged in line with the lower connecting ribs of the front'and rear sections and are spaced from each other to provide draft passages 50. With the remaining connecting members of the intermediate section or sections staggered and the remaining connecting ribs of the rear section out of horizontal alinement with those of the front section, numerous transverse water bars separated by winding passages are provided in the space between the upper connecting members and the lower connecting members. The upper ends of the several intermediate sections are closed with a cover plate 51 provided with a fuel feed opening 52 and a smoke or draft opening 53, the fuel feed opening being closed by a hinged cover 54.

The upper connecting members of the intermediate sections and the upper hollow connecting ribs on the front and rear sections are spaced a considerable distance from'the cover plate, as clearly shown in Fig. 5, and as said connecting members and ribs are inclined upwardly and outwardly and the upper ends of the intermediate sections also trend outwardly, a substantially V-shaped chamber 55 is provided in the upper end of the heater or boiler. This chamber serves as the fuel chamber or fireplace and consequently the upper connecting members of the intermediate sections and the upper hollow connecting ribs of the front and rear sections serve as hollow grate bars which lie in contact with each other at points between the notches formed therein, or are spaced, as hereinbefore described.

Beneath the lower connecting bars of the intermediate section and the lower hollow connecting ribs of the front and rear sections, an ash pit or chamber 56 is formed, the legs 40 of the intermediate sections and flanges 25 and 36 of the front and rear sections, respectively, serving as the side confining walls of said ash pit or chamber. The front wall of the front section is provided with an o ening 57, by means of which access may e gained to the ash pit, and this opening is closed by a door 58.

The rear wall of the rear section has a smoke and draft opening 59 formed therein near its lower end, and a main smoke stack 60 is connected thereto, said stack being therefore in direct COlI1ll'lLl11lC2ltlO1l with the ash pit. A secondary smoke stack 61 is attached to the cover plate 51 so as to communicate with the fire-place through the opening 53 of said plate, said secondary smoke stack being connected with the main smoke stack 60, as at 62, and having a damper 68 therein.

Arranged lengthwise in the fire-place is a hollow air feeding or distributing cylinder 64 which is preferably formed of sections 65, 66, 67 and 68, the sections 65 and 68 being co-extensive with the projecting ribs on the front and rear sections, and the sections 66 and 67 being co-extensive with the intermediate heater or boiler sections. It is of course understood that when a sin gle intermediate heater or boiler section is used in connection with the front and rear heater or boiler sections, either section 66 or section 67 is dispensed with, and when more than two intermediate sections are inserted between the front and rear sections, additional cylinder sections are required, corresponding in number to the additional heater or boiler sections used.

Each of these cylinder sections is provided with a hub portion 69 and arms 70 connecting the hub portion with the peripheral wall of the section. A shaft 71 is passed through the hubs of several cylinder sections and is journaled or supported in thefront and rear heater or boiler sections, as at 72, 73. A portion of the space between the inner and outer walls of the rear sections is separated from the water space 32 of said section by a circular partition or wall 74; forming an air passage 75 betweenv said walls, and said inner and outer walls are provided with air openings 76 which lead the atmospheric air from the exterior of the heater or boiler into the hollow airfeeding cylinder, the air passing from the air openings 76 in the outer wall through the air space 75 to and through the air openings 76 in the inner wall of said rear section.

As shown in Fig. 2, a dished cover plate 77 is secured to the outer wall of the rear section and covers the air openings 76 formed therein. This cover plate is provided with openings 7 8 and a damper 7 9 is rotatably mounted on said cover plate and adapted to entirely close the openings in said plate or open the same to any desired extent, depending on the amount of a1r adapted to be fed to the hollow air-feeding cylinder.

Each of the several sections of this hollow air-feeding cylinder is provided with air escape openings 80 over which hoods 81 are applied which are cast or secured to said sections in any approved manner, the edges reason of having internaYair' feeding means within the fuel chamber or fire-place, air is fed to all parts of the fuel and particularly to the center of the bed of fuel, which in heaters or boilers now in use is invariably deficiently applied with air.

The fuel is placed in the fire-place and onto the fire-grate formed by the uppermost connecting members and ribs of the heater or boiler sections and it is ignited in any I suitable manner. When starting a fire the damper 63 in the secondary smoke stack is opened so that the draft is upwardly and directly out through the top of the heater or boiler. This draws the air through the air openings 7 6 and passage 75 in the rear heater or boller section and through the air distributing cylinder, and when the damper in the dished cover plate 77 is full open, the fuel is quickly ignited. The damper 63 in the secondary smoke stack may then be closed, after which the draft is downward through the heater or boiler by reason of the draft in the main smoke stack drawing through the ash pit and through the heatabsorbing space 81 having the hollow connecting members and ribs disposed therein. The air being drawn through the distributing or air-feeding cylinder causes the fuel to be supplied with air at all points surrounding said cylinder, and as the products of combustion are drawn downwardly through the fire-grate and the passages be- .tween the hollow connecting members and ribs beneath the fire-grate, the water circulating through said members and ribs is thoroughly and quickly heated.

It is to be noted that by placing the lower means of connection between the several heater or boiler sectionsat the lowermost point which the water within said sections reach, a perfect circulation of water throughithe heater or boiler isprovided for;

The freedom of the irculation being further added to by reason ofthemedialven tically-disposed ribs on the front and rear sections and the medial vertically-disposed members of the rear sections permitting the water as .it becomes heated to travel upwardly without deviation and laterally and upwardly through the connecting members and the connecting ribs. steam, as the case may be, passes out through a pipe 82 connected to the heater or boiler at a high'p'oint, and the cold water after passing through the heating system of a building returns to the boiler through the pipe 83 connected-thereto at a low point.

By reason of the intermediate connecting members being triangular, a comparatively small water passage is formed therethrough while the three walls of the triangle provide maximum exposure or heating surface. In this connection it may be stated that'the side members ofthe intermediate section or sections are alSO made triangular in cross section, as shown in- Fig. l, which greatly reduces the water capacity in said members and increases the heating surface over the straight sided surfaces now in use.

In accordanc with the provisions of the patent statutes. I have described the principle of operation of my invention together with the means which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire to have it understood that the heater or boiler shown is only illustrative and may be modified without departing from my i n vention or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is, v

1. A down-draft heater or boiler comprising hollow end sectionseach having a water space therein, and an intermediate section or sections, all sections being connectedto form a fire-place at the upper end of the heater or boiler, one of said end sections having an air space therein near its upper end separated from its water space and the intermediate section or sections having hollow transverse water members beneath said fireplace,

and a hollow air distributing member ar-' ranged centrally within said fire-place to enable the fuel in the fire-place to entirely surround the same, the interior of said air distributing member being in communication with the outer air through said air space.

2. A downdraft heater or boiler having hollow end sections and an intermediate section or sections, afire-place suitablyformed by said sections atthe upper end of theheater or boiler, said intermediate section or sections having hollow transverse water members beneath said fire-place, a hollow air distributing member arranged centrally The hot water or within said fire-place having air escape openings and adapted to have at least its lower portion embedded in the fuel, an air passage through one of said end sections leading to said air distributing member, and means on said end section for regulating air passing into said air distributing member.

3. A sectional heater or boiler having a fire-place at it's upper end, an ash pit at its lower end and hollow water members arranged in the space between said fire-place and ash pit, said water members being arranged in two sets on each section and being inclined upwardly from a medial line passing vertically through said heater or boiler, the water members of one set of each section being spaced from those of the other and alternating therewith.

4. A sectional heater or boiler comprising a front section, a rear section and an intermediate section or sections, said front and rear sections being hollow and having oppositely-disposed hollow side ribs and connecting ribs connecting said side ribs, said intermediate section or sections having hollow side members and hollow transverse members conecting said side members, the connecting members of the intermediate section or sections being disposed in two sets with the connecting members of the two sets in different vertical planes and arranged alternatively from top to bottom and a smoke stack connected at a low point of said heater or boiler.

5. A down-draft heater or boiler comprising hollow end sections and hollow intermediate sections, said end sections having spaced inner and outer walls and each of said intermediate sections having hollow vertically-disposed side members terminating in solid legs at their lower ends, a hollow vertically-disposed medial member somewhat shorter than said side members and upwardly and outwardly inclined superposed connecting members connecting said medial member with said side members, the uppermost connecting members serving as hollow fire bars and a cover plate closing the upper end of the heater or boiler and receiving support from the upper ends of said side members and from the upper ends of said end sections.

6. A heater or boiler comprising hollow end sections having spaced inner and outer walls, the inner wall of each of said sections being provided with hollow marginal side ribs terminating at their upper ends in circular bosses and having also a vertically-disposed medial hollow rib and upwardly and outwardly directed hollow connecting ribs connecting said medial rib with said side ribs, the medial hollow rib of each of said sections terminating at its lower end in a circular boss, an intermediate section comprising hollow side members terminating at their upper ends in circular bosses arranged in line with the circular bosses at the upper ends of the side marginal ribs of saidend sections, said intermediate section having also a hollow vertically-disposed medial member and upwardly and outwardly directed hollow connecting members extending from said medial member to said hollow side members, said hollow medial member having a circular portion at its lower end alined with the circular bosses at the lower ends of the medial hollow ribs of said end sections, nipples connecting alined circular bosses of adjoining sections, a smoke stack in communication with the space below the lowermost connecting member of said intermediate section, and a cover plate closing the upper end of said intermediate section and being spaced from'the uppermost connecting member of said intermediate section or sections to provide a fire-place between the two.

7. A sectional. heater or boiler having end sections, and intermediate sections provided with hollow side members and connecting members extending upwardly and outwardly from a vertical plane passing medially between said side members, the connecting members of each intermediate section being arranged from top to bottom in staggered relation, and the uppermost connecting members serving as fire bars and forming a fire-place having a fire-grate sloping from opposite walls.

8. A heater or boiler comprising end sections and intermediate sections, each intermediate section having hollow side members, a hollow vertically-disposed medial member and a series of connecting members extending outwardly and upwardly from said medial member to said side members, said connecting members being of less depth than said side members and alternately arranged at opposite sides of a plane passing centrally and transversely through the intermediate section to form circuitous clownwardly trending draft passages, the connecting members terminating a distance from the upper and lower ends of said sections to provide a fire-place space at the upper end of the heater or boiler and an ash pit at the lower end thereof, a smoke stack in communication with the ash pit, and means for closing the upper end of the heater or boiler.

9. A sectional heater or boiler comprising connected hollow sections, adjacent sections having communication with each other at their upper corners and also at a medial low point, said sections being constructed to permit the water to travel upwardly from said medial low point and also laterally in a gradually rising course.

10. A sectional heater or boiler comprising end sections and intermediate sections, each of said intermediate sections compristing :IIOIIOV side members terminating in :1 ,esmrzss of triangular formation in cross section and reversely arranged With those of one set al- 10 ternating With thoseof the other; one of said end -menrbers having a seriesof openings. permitting access to the several connecting members, and closures for said openings.

solid legs at their lowenends, a verticallydisposed medial member' and connecting members ior each intermediate section arranged in two sets and-extending'from said medial member upwardly-andoutwardly to the two sets of side members, said connecting members of each intermediate section being WILLIAM C; MGKEOWN.

five centsneach, byaddressing the Commissioner of Paltents,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for Washington,=1)..0.

In testimony whereof :I affix my signature. 15' 

